


Crown Jewel

by lovemeter



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1950s, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Ballroom Dancing, F/M, James Barnes is a handsome devil, Meet-Cute, Period AU (?), Strangers to Lovers, a stupid idea that came to me at three in the morning so if it's crappy don't judge me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-12-24 07:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21096026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovemeter/pseuds/lovemeter
Summary: James Barnes is a notorious jewel thief known for looting the rich while they drink and dance in merriment. During one particular heist, he ends up purloining the rarest jewel of them all; your heart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I like to think this takes place during the 1950s but you can think whatever you'd like to!

* * *

Sneaky was his middle name. So was devilishly handsome, but he decided to keep it Buchanan. His mother wasn't a big fan of him being known as sneaky or a handsome devil. Whether she liked it or not, her son was just that and he had no shame in it. 

After years of living in the lower-middle-class district of Brooklyn, Bucky learned one thing. Rich people suck and there's nothing wrong with taking a little or a large amount of their fortune. Not like they needed it anyway. Their savings were endless with their vaults brimming with shining jewels and priceless artifacts. 

No one knew who James Barnes really was and yet his name was plastered on top of every wanted list of every police station in the western world. He was cautious and nimble, swiping away riches underneath the very noses of their possessors as they frolicked about in their satin dresses and grey striped flannel suits. Without a picture or witness to his name, people didn’t know what to believe. Some believed he was an apparition sent by God to punish the corrupt while others speculated he was a Soviet spy gathering information while taking a little prize for himself. 

He didn’t care much about what people thought and often found himself chuckling at the outrageous names bestowed upon him while reading the paper as he sat by the warm oceans of sunny beaches with a half-full glass of Cognac resting between his fingers. It was all so entertaining to him. The mystery around him brought him pleasure as to many others who had become fans of his works in exploiting the rich with some of them being the rich themselves. 

"Y/N?" 

"Hmm?" 

"I said maybe you should go dance," your mother suggested. 

"I don't know. I'm not that good," 

"Of course you are. You've taken lessons with your sister. You're just as good as her," she retorted. 

"I don't think anyone would want to dance with me," you said, hoping she would just let you be. 

"There's a fine line of young men waiting to ask for your hand," she responded before whispering into your ear. "I think Captain Stark has an especially burning desire to dance with you," she chuckled. "He's been looking your way all night." 

"Mother!" you replied with red cheeks and a pout. "You shouldn't assume such things." 

Your mother sighs before taking another sip of red wine from a crystal glass. 

"I don't know where you get your timid behavior from. Certainly not your father." 

"And certainly not from you," you poked fun at her.

Your mother glares at you from the corner of her eyes making you chuckle in delight. 

"Excuse me," a man with chocolate brown locks and dazzling blue eyes stood before you. "I was wondering if you would like to dance?" 

You stood agape at the sight of him. His hair was well-kept, gelled over to one side with a clean-shaven face showcasing the defining lines of his sharp jaw. His physique was lean and adorned in an expensive black suit. You had never met a man as handsome as him. Nor did one ever make your heart hammer against your chest so wildly when asking for a dance. 

"I, uh-" 

"Don't stutter, Y/N," your mother admonished quietly. "Answer the young man." 

Your cheeks grow red by your embarrassing action as you look down at his hand waiting for yours. 

You take his hand shyly with a small smile. "That would be nice." 

He smiles wide, as he gently wraps his fingers around yours leading you to the center of the hall where elegantly crafted gowns swept along the floor with grace and the clatter of footsteps mixed with the poised, youthful laughter of young men and women in the air. 

He turns towards you, keeping your hand in his, and places his other hand on the small of your back. You blush underneath his warm cerulean gaze as he led you in a traditional waltz. 

"Do you come to these often?" he asked. 

"Hmm?" 

"Do you come to these parties often?" he repeated. 

"Oh yes," you replied. "My mother enjoys them very much." 

"And you don’t?" 

"They aren't really my cup of tea," you confess. "Not to mention they become redundant after some time. Same old songs. Same old gossiping. It gets boring after a while."

"Seems like you're looking for something new." 

“I guess you could say that," you said with a sigh. 

“Then what are you waiting for?” he asked. You looked up to him with perplexity hidden in your gaze. It was as if he was reading your deepest thoughts.

“The right time I suppose,” you said as he swept you across the dancefloor. 

“No time like the present,” he responded, his eyes gleaming underneath the crystal chandeliers. 

“It isn’t as easy as it seems,” you stated, “not when you’re stuck between four walls and a heavy weight of responsibility.” 

You didn't know why you were having this kind of conversation, especially with a stranger. You didn’t even know his name and you were telling him the things you couldn’t tell anyone else. Maybe it was his anonymity that allowed you to do so. 

"We are all burdened with something, but should we really let those things get the best of us?" 

"No, I suppose not." 

"Then why not do what you want?" he asked, his voice painted in excitement. "All it takes is a willful heart and a leap of faith." 

Your lips curl into a gentle smile while adoring his flawless features and brilliant aura. You might just take that step if he'd take it with you. 

"You seem like the adventurous type," you commented earning a chuckle from him. 

"I guess you could say that. I enjoy the thrill and rush of a chase." 

"I'm sorry I never got your name," you said, a bit embarrassed by your rude behavior. 

"Personally, I don't find names that important," he stated. 

You gave him a confused expression with your brows furrowed. "Well I should have something to call you by," you stated, offended by the prospect of him not caring for your name.

"Then you can call me James," he replied. "Just James." 

"As you wish Just James," you teased making him chuckle again. His voice was a sweet melody to your ears. 

"And yours?" 

"Y/N," you replied, "Just Y/N." 

The music came to a stop denoting the end of the song and everyone on the floor claps for the musicians. Bucky lets go of your hand and you feel a shiver of loneliness run down your spine. 

“It was a pleasure to dance with you, Miss Y/N,” he stated taking your hand in his once again causing a spark to light up within you. “You are an impeccable partner.” 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” you returned the compliment. 

“If you’ll excuse me there’s somewhere I need to be,” he replied. 

“Of course,” you stated. “It was nice meeting you.” 

Bucky responds with an affirming nod and turns to leave. Deep down you wish he didn’t. You were only left alone for a short time until you hear a voice call your name. 

“Miss L/N,” Tony calls from behind you. 

“Captain Stark,” you replied with an inkling of distaste in your voice. 

“I’ve been trying to talk to you all night,” he stated. “But I never got the chance.” 

You smile at him with your insides hurling. Why was your mother so good at reading others? 

“Well I’m here now,” you replied with a sickeningly sweet smile. “What is it that you’d like to tell me?” 

Tony begins to speak and you listen quietly with your thoughts on a completely different person. It’s only until you see said person sneakily passing by one of the hallways did you return to earth. 

“I’m sorry, Captain,” you apologized, trying to come up with an excuse. “I think my mother is calling me.” 

Before he could even respond, you quickly walk past him with a sigh of relief as you rushed through dancing couples swaying along the waxed floor of the ballroom. You exit the room leaving behind the sounds of jubilant voices and clinking of glasses of champagne. 

You run down the hall decorated with ornate designs and Romantic art with crystal chandeliers lighting your path. You run past open glass doors leading to a balconied niche catching a glimpse of black in the corner of your eye. You step back and find him standing there. 

“What are you doing?”

He bites his tongue as he turns his head to see you standing by the doors underneath the luminescent rays of moonlight making you shine brighter than any diamond he’s stolen before. It was as if he was in a scene from an old fable stepping off its page as he stood there beguiled by your beauty. 

You notice the bag in his hand and your mind clicks right away. James. 

"You! You're the mastermind jewel thief, James Barnes, aren't you?" 

"The one and only," he replies unabashedly. 

You were taken aback by his blunt and fearless attitude. "Aren't you worried I'll tell on you?" 

"Something tells me you won't," he stated. "And even if you did, who would believe you?" he questioned, forming a pout on your face. "After all, James Barnes is just a ghost story."

"I've read about you in the paper. Didn't you steal the Devil Eye's at the Smithsonian just a month ago?" You asked leaning into his space making him take a step back. "And slipped the world's most expensive diamond necklace right off the Duchess of Berkshire's neck just last week?" 

Bucky looks at you with amusement. You were too close to him with your face right in his. Not that he minded, but he knew you wouldn't do something so bold and unladylike if you knew what you were doing. You were filled with wonder and awe for catching a mastermind crook and being the first to see what he looked like. And you had to admit, he was a sight to behold. Even in the dark, he could distinguish the excitement written on your face and your eyes glimmering in the light just like the jewels in his bag.

He chuckles at your childlike reverence and you stand back confused. "You know more about me than I do," he noted. 

You stood agape with your cheeks burning in the cool air. "I-well, that is," you began to stammer while playing with your hands. "I just think you're interesting." 

He raises a brow with a smirk gracing his features. He shouldn't be here. He should've left ten minutes ago. If his calculations were correct, the guards would have already found an emptied vault sitting with nothing but a thank you note from himself. If he left ten minutes ago, he would've been well on his way out of town, but who cared about a silly schedule when a cute girl was showing an interest in your daring escapades? 

"You go on all these amazing adventures," you noted. "It's like reading a novel but it's real. I just think that's exciting." 

"Then why not come with me?" he asked out of the blue and without an inkling of fear or nervousness.

"Me?" you asked incredulously. 

"Yes, you," he replied with a chuckle coloring his words. "You wanted something new, didn't you? Then I'll take you with me." 

"Oh well, I don't know,” you whispered. Your once excited state now wavering in front of him. “Sometimes I say crazy things." 

There’s nothing crazy about wanting adventure,” he responded. “Do you really want to live the rest of your life trapped in what others want?” 

You remain silent, uncertain in how to reply. “I-I can’t,” you denied. “Maybe someday, but not today.” 

You looked away from his prying gaze with a sense of regret hidden in your words. 

“Until then let me give you something to remember me by,” he smiles genuinely before placing a peck on your sweet lips that had your knees melting and heart soaring. 

He turns to leave, but you catch him by the hand. 

"Wait,” you stop him by the hand, “when will I see you again?" 

Bucky gives you a wide grin. "I go wherever the wind takes me. If it ever comes by here again so will I." 

You frown at his vague answer. "So not anytime soon." 

"It'll be sooner than you think," he said, turning back to you and lifting your chin with this hand to take your lips captive once again in a deeper and much more passionate kiss. 

You could hear the voices of men shouting down the hallway and Bucky pulls away from you faster than you'd like him to. He picked up his bag and slings it over his shoulder. 

"I should go," he said with a small smile hiding his desire to stay. 

"You should," you replied. He gets on the fence of the balcony ready to jump off. He turns to you one last time and gives you a salute with a goofy smile before jumping off. You run over to the balcony edge and lean over to see if he made it. You sigh in relief at the sight of him running off towards the forest and giggle to yourself while resting your chin and arms on the balcony railing. 

"Miss L/N!" Tony called as he ran towards you. 

"Captain," you replied as you turned to him.

"Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine." 

"That's a relief," he sighed. "That man didn't hurt you, did he?" 

"Of course not," you replied turning back towards the view. "He was sweet and charming," you smiled with a far-off look. 

Tony's brows knitted in confusion. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I don't think you know who you've been talking with. That was James Barnes! The notorious jewel thief that has been terrorizing the lives of innocent people." 

"Is that so," you responded not listening to his explanation. 

"He just raided your uncle’s vault. Your mother fainted at the news." Tony informed. 

"What a pity," you said nonchalantly. 

Tony remained puzzled by your complacent attitude towards the entire ordeal. Suddenly it hit him and he quickly turns to leave. 

"I must catch him right away," he said as he stalked towards the door. 

"No," you caught him by the arm with both of your hands. "Don't do that. He hasn't done anything wrong." 

Tony turns to you. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I have to. He's committed a major crime. He's stolen your heart!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bucky you goof you can't just ask a girl you just met to run away with you. 
> 
> although I would have...


	2. Chapter 2

> Lace curtains danced in the air as a cool zephyr entered through the balcony doors leading to your quaint yet luxurious bedroom. 

Another exasperated sigh escapes your lips while burying your nose deeper into the plush pillows decorating your bed. The sheer summer curtains of the canopy bed did little to protect you from the cool gentle breeze that nipped at the bare skin of your legs and arms. 

A freshly ironed Dior dress lay slack against a cushioned seat placed by the maid in an effort to not have to iron it again. While dozens of gifts, perfectly packed with fanciful bows, sat neglected in the opposite corner of the room. You had no intention of opening any of them nor did you have any plan to wear that dress and paint an elegant smile on your face to keep everyone happy. 

But you were going to whether you liked it or not. After a lot of quarreling with your mother and sister, you were going to be forced into that dress and dragged downstairs to stand next to your fiance, a certain Captain Stark, while displaying the lavish diamond ring wrapped around your finger for everyone to see. 

You didn’t want to get married, especially to a man you didn’t like, let alone even love. Your mother scolded you for indifference towards the Captain’s adoration for you by saying you were selfish and indignant. Your sister had clearly vocalized her jealousy towards the forsaken gifts sent to you almost every day since your engagement sitting in the corner to catch dust. She didn’t miss a chance to call you spoiled and prissy. 

They didn’t seem to realize that what you wanted was more than just a good name and a handsome husband. You wanted adventure and excitement. The thrill and rush of adrenaline that came with a good chase. But what you wanted didn’t really matter to them or anyone for that matter, and you knew as the days following up to that fateful day was decreasing your chance of it all was slipping out of your hand. 

You brought your legs closer to your body in an effort to keep you just a bit warmer as you attempted to keep your tears at bay. They were useless and would only cause more problems the minute your mother walked inside. 

You buried your face deeper into the pillows (if that was possible) wishing for some kind of escape. 

The room was quiet except for the occasional matted sniffle until Fru Fru, your Bichon Frise puppy, began to bark out on the balcony.

At first, you thought she was just barking at a bird or doing that weird thing dogs did from time to time, but after a good five minutes of her incessant yipping, you decided to see what the problem was. 

You got off the bed and walked over to the balcony doors to hear the cool deep voice of someone you had never thought to meet again. 

“Nice doggy,” his voice cooed, shaky and in effort to shoo it away. Your ears perked up at the sound of the voice and opened the door to your balcony swiftly. 

You witness Bucky sitting on top of the thick stone railing of your room’s balcony waving his hand to ward off the harmless Bichon Frise barking at him. He looks up to see you standing there and gives you a bright smile making your heart leap. 

“Fru Fru,” you call the dog and it runs in your direction. You pick her up and scratch her between the ears. 

“You’re back,” you smiled softly, cradling her in your arms. 

“I am,” he chuckled as he got off the railing and walked towards you. 

It wasn’t until he was right in front of you, did you really believe it was him and not a figment of your imagination. Not that you were thinking about him or anything. It was indeed the notorious James Barnes in all his handsome glory. 

“How did you find me?” 

“I have a nose for pretty things.”

You chuckled with your cheeks tinting a light pink. “I’m glad you came," you whispered against Fru Fru with a frown. "This may be the last time." 

“What do you mean?" he asked puzzled. 

"I'm leaving soon," you informed with a disgruntled sigh. "I'm getting married." 

"Oh," he replied quietly with disappointment hidden in his tone. You keep yourself hidden behind your pup, but the tension in the air is enough to tell him that there’s something wrong. "You don't look very happy,” he noted. 

"Is it really that obvious?" you chuckled, shaking your head. "My mother says I should be. Not every girl gets to marry a man as distinguished as Captain Anthony Stark,” you jeered. 

"You don’t want to marry him, do you?” Bucky asked with a foreign sense of relief. 

"I don’t. He came to my father and he agreed." 

"Didn't you get a say?" 

"I did, but the consequence of saying no is something I don’t want to face,” you place the puppy on the floor and she retreats into your room. 

"So you're marrying a guy you don't even love?" 

"I can hardly sit in the same room as him, let alone love him,” you replied, walking towards the railing of the balcony. Bucky follows you and leans against the railing with his back to it. He turns his head to see you leaning with your arms resting on the balcony and hair flowing in the wind. Your expression is downcast with your lips formed into a frowning pout as you played with your fingers. 

"That's horrible," he mustered up. 

"It is," you agreed, "There's so much I want to do. So much I want to see and if I get married, I don't think I'll ever get to do anything. Maybe I'm being selfish or spoiled but I just don't want the highlight of my life to be marrying a wealthy man.” You let out a deep sigh. “Sometimes I wish I could just run away." 

"Why not do just that?" he asks, getting just a bit closer. 

"I wish I could, but I'm not as bold as my words.”

A flurry of emotion wells within you and the tears you were trying so hard to fight back were pushing their way to the edges of your eyes. Bucky feels something stuck in his throat at the sight of you. It hurts to see you this way and even if you were a stranger his heart was reaching out for you. He wished he could help in some way. 

Bucky turns his head to look down, his expression serious as the ingenious gears of his mastermind brain began to turn in an effort to find a solution to your problem. A light bulb clicks on and he quickly turns back to you. 

"How about I steal you away?" he asked with a wide smile on his face. 

"What?" you asked with your brows knitted together. 

"You want to get away but you need help, right?” he asked. “Well, help is right here,” he motioned to himself. 

"Wait a second are you telling me to elope with you?" 

"More or less," he shrugged

"We can't do that!" you exclaimed with a blush rising on your cheeks. 

"Why not?" he countered "There's nothing left here for you." 

"But my family," you whispered while twiddling your fingers. 

"The same family forcing you into marrying someone you don't love just so they could look better? If they wanted the best for you wouldn't they let you do what you want?" 

You bit your lip while thinking about his offer. He was right. You loved your family, but the colors they had shown in the past two months was far from loving. 

"It's risky," you downplayed, "What if we get caught?" 

"Sweetheart I don't think you know who I am,” he said with a smirk and glint of mischief in his eyes. "I'm James Barnes, International Jewel Thief. I never get caught." 

"But-" 

"Y/N.” Your mother’s voice paired with a knock came from the door. 

"That’s it then,” he said, lifting himself onto the railing. "I'll take you away from here." 

"But wait," you asked, needing him to explain more. "How are we going to do this?" 

"Y/N,” your mother called again with an even harder knock. 

"Don't worry doll, leave if all to me," he assured before sneaking a short sweet kiss on the lips. "Just stay ready."

"Wait, James! I don't know what that means!" You whispered as he hung off the balcony. He chuckles and it makes your heart soar to great heights. You feel dizzy with your head rushing through a thousand questions. The distant irritated knocks at the door only added to your confusion as you looked at him with hopeful eyes and a strange sense of trust. 

"Just stay ready, Y/N, I’m gonna steal you away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are going to get a tad bit crazy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for any grammar mistakes. I try my best not to make but sometimes my brain goes dead haha

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Steve whined. 

"You're not doing anything. You just gotta sit here and keep the car warm." 

"You said we were gonna visit a friend," Steve said feeling betrayed. 

"We are," Bucky replied. 

"You didn't say we were gonna crash your girlfriend's wedding." 

"She's not my girlfriend," Bucky chuckled with a blush dusting his cheeks. "Just a friend in need." 

"Knowing the way you are around girls, I highly doubt that " Steve deadpanned. 

"Shut it, punk," Bucky grunted with a smile as he got out. "I'm going in." 

"I'm a criminal now." Steve cried with his forehead pressed against the steering wheel of his 1956 Buick Convertible. "What's Ma gonna say?" 

"She's gonna say: great job, Stevie, you just saved a girl from being forced into getting married," Bucky replied sarcastically, leaning over the door. 

Steve turned his head towards Bucky with a pout. "I'm seriously doubting ever becoming friends with you." 

Bucky rolled his eyes as he hit the side of the car. "I'm coming right back so stay ready. Ya hear?" 

* * *

> You fidgeted on the plush fur stool of your vanity trying to stop the chills that were crawling up your spine. Your mother diagnosed it as a common case of wedding jitters with a chuckle. She sat nearby, admiring your delicate beauty from the reflection in the vanity mirror as a group of maids hovered around you, fixing you up like a porcelain doll with your mother's heavy eye patrolling their every move. It all had to be perfect, after all, it wasn't every day the daughter of the wealthiest man on the East Coast was getting married. 

Despite the girls giggling in awe around you all you could hear was Bucky's voice repeating in your head like a broken record. His words made fear and excitement course through your veins. Just the thought of running away (on your wedding day with a stranger no less) had you shaking to the core. But in a good way. In a thrilling, heart-pumping, romantic sort of way. You had never done something so rebellious in your life. You were a good child, respectful and shy, always catering to your parents' every whim only for them to ignore you. 

You just hoped James would make it on time. You knew he would come. He'd come to take you away and you would willingly and happily go with him. You didn't know what it was about the thief that had you so captivated. Maybe it was the way his eyes shimmered with passion or the gummy smiles that brought your own. Whatever it was, you couldn't deny you were falling for him. A man you had only talked to twice and knew nothing about except that he may have a very serious case of kleptomania. But you hoped that after it was all over, you would get to learn more about him. The places he loved to visit and the books he'd read a million times over. There was so much you wanted to know about him, but first, you had to get out of this god-forsaken house. 

Your fingers weaved into the wispy fur of the stool you were sitting on and tugged harshly on the strands while hesitating to bite your red-painted lips. You felt dizzy and uncomfortable which probably had something to do with the gorgeous wedding dress you were squeezed into. Your mother left the room to attend to other things since the reception was going to be held on the estate, leaving you alone with your loyal pup and an unbearable amount of nervousness. 

"Psst, Y/N!" Bucky whispered from the balcony. 

You stood up at the sound of his voice and run to him quickly. Bucky smiled at the sight of you, hovering over him like an ethereal angel.

"James! You're here!" 

"Of course I am darling I couldn't forget about you," he said smoothly making you turn beet red. "Now come on, we're ditching this joint." 

"Are you sure about this?" you asked, biting the tender skin of your lips. 

"I am. Are you?" he asked. You firmly nodded like a nervous child. 

"Great,” he grinned, lifting his arms, “just jump into my arms."

"Wait," you responded before turning around and running back inside. You picked up your puppy and returned to him. “Alright, let’s go,” you replied. 

He dropped his hands at the sight of the dog. “Woah, Woah, he’s going too?” 

“Of course she is!” you replied. “I can’t leave Fru-Fru behind. She’s my baby!” 

Bucky rolled his eyes with an inaudible groan. He wasn’t a big fan of the dog. 

“Alright, doll, whatever you want,” he sighed. “Now come on, already. Anyone can come at any time.” 

“I’m too scared to jump,” you confessed. 

Bucky chuckled quietly. “Don’t worry, I got you.” 

“I don’t know,” you wavered. 

"Doll, just trust me," Bucky said. "I won't let you fall." 

The look in his eyes is reassuring and promising, pulling you down to him as you jump off the balcony with your eyes closed. He catches you with ease. You open one eye and then the other to find him smiling at you. 

"An angel has fallen into my arms," he said, causing a blush to reach your cheeks and a need to kiss him swell within you. He plants your feet on the ground gently and Fru Fru jumps out of your arms. 

"C'mon, doll," he takes your hand and pulls you along. "Let's go!" 

You run along with him lifting your dress with one hand, motioning the puppy to follow you. You're not even a third down the grand yard when you heard your sister shouting at your balcony. 

"Mother! She's running away!" Your sister gasps in complete shock. 

You chuckle shamelessly with your head hung back at the sound of her shrill voice. It wasn't long until the men of the house heard the news of you running away with a mysterious man and sprung into action with strict determination to bring you back. 

"Doll, I don't wanna be rude or anything, but if you could just run a bit faster?" he asked. 

"Why don't you try running in a wedding dress and heels in the grass?" 

Bucky chuckles before stopping. You look at him with a raised brow before he swoops you into his arms and begins to run again. 

You laugh heartily with your head hung back, feeling freer than you've ever felt before as he dashes down the yard. You could hear the shouts and curses coming from far behind you, particularly your father's bellows and maybe a disheartened captain's cries. 

Fru-Fru was right behind you running in glee like the energetic puppy she was. You cupped Bucky's chin, pulling the side of his face into a smacking kiss as he runs into the woods lining the backyard. 

Quickly running through the woods with your giggles mingling with his chuckles, you reached the end to find a paved roadside. Bucky put you down but kept you within arms reach as he led you to the Buick with a moping blonde sitting in the driver's seat. 

"Hi," you greeted Steve, who looked as if he had seen a ghost. 

"Hey, how's it going?" he says with a salute and a lopsided smile. 

Fru-Fru barks at Bucky in anger as he places him next to you. "Yeah, I don't like you either Fido." 

"That's Fru-Fru," you corrected taking the puppy in your arms. 

"Not the time, doll," he replies as he jumps over the door and into the passenger seat. "Step on it, Steve! They're gaining on us!" 

"Don't tell me what to do!" he retorts as he slams his foot on the gas pedal. 

"James, they're right behind us!" you informed with worry. 

Bucky only responds with a carefree smile. "Don't worry about it," he points at Steve, "you're looking at the race king of Brooklyn right here." 

"Shut up, will ya?" he hisses at Bucky, clearly stressed by it all and slightly embarrassed at his title. "Sit back, Miss, it's about to get a little crazy." 

You sit back in your seat and pull Fru-Fru down from the window. Steve quickly makes a u-turn that had you jerking from side to side. As quickly as he turned he sped down the road with his foot flat on the pedal. The wind blew fiercely in your direction making the tightly pinned netted veil in your hair to flow behind you. 

You passed by the car chasing yours still stuck in confusion from it all. You saw Tony sitting in the driver's seat with your father right beside him and all you could muster was a sheepish grin and apologetic wave of the hand as you zipped by them in an instant. 

"You're amazing!" you exclaimed, pulling yourself closer to the two in front. 

"Thanks," Steve chuckled. "Nice to finally meet ya!" 

You tilt your head to the side. "Bucky's told me a lot about you." 

Your cheeks flared as Bucky mutters something. "Shut up, Steve," he groans. 

"He never shuts up about you," Steve ignores him with a mischievous smile. 

Your heart flipped at that. He was thinking about you the same way you were thinking of him. Maybe he thought about dancing with you again the way you did. Maybe you made his dreams sweeter the same way he made yours. Just the thought of that had you giggling and bright red. 

"I'm flattered," you chuckled and noticed a slight blush on the thief's cheeks. "But how could he talk so much about me if he hardly knows me?" you questioned. 

Was that flirting? You weren't good in that department, but you hoped it was. 

Bucky chuckles while shaking his head down. He takes your hand and places a kiss on your skin that had electricity zipping through you and Steve rolling his eyes. He looks up at you with the same eyes that plagued your dreams every single night. 

"Why else would I steal you away?" he asked. "Don't worry, doll, we'll get to know each other more. We've got all the time in the world." 


	4. Chapter 4

> "Doll," a gentle hand nudged you. "Doll?" 

You opened an eye to find Bucky smiling at you. You rubbed your eyes as you got up. 

"Is everything alright?" you asked your voice heavy with sleep.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” he chuckled as you yawned. “We’re here.” 

“Where are we?” 

“Cape Cod,” Bucky informed. 

You stood straight up, “That’s in Massachusetts!” 

“You’ve got great geography skills,” he said, opening the door and offering a hand. “We’re just gonna hide out here for a while, just until it gets quiet.”

“Quiet?” you asked as you got out of the car. 

“You’re all over the news, doll,” Steve said with a chuckle, leaning against the side of his car. “Was listening to it on the radio on the way here.” 

“That quick?” you asked shock.

Steve shrugged. “Probably that stuffy Captain’s got something to do with it.” 

“Well, he can try all he wants,” Bucky stated with his grip on your hand growing tighter. “He won’t find us.” 

“So where are we going?” you asked with a smile.

“To a friend’s place,” Bucky said. “Down by the dock just over there,” he said pointing down at a mechanic’s shop. 

“Friend is a bit pushing it don’t ya think?” Steve asked with a grin. 

“She’s the only one that can help,” Bucky told him. “Come on, doll,” he pulls you along gently. 

“You’re not coming?” you asked Steve. 

“Don’t worry I’ll meet ya there, I gotta come around the back,” Steve replied with a smile. 

You nodded before following Bucky through a sandy shortcut. 

“Now I gotta warn you. She’s a bit of a firecracker,” he informed as you walked to the garage. The sound of joyful jazz was calling you closer. You follow him inside to find a pair of legs sticking out from under a car. Bucky rings a bell and a pretty face reveals herself from underneath the car. 

"You've got a lot of nerve to show your face around here again!" A redhead in a mechanic's jumpsuit hisses at him. She gets up quickly to approach him. 

"Hey, Nat, how's it going?" Bucky greets, a bit intimidated. 

"Don't hey me, you cheating bastard!" Nat swung her wrench in the air. 

"I won that game fair and square!" 

"As if!" she yelled. "There's nothing fair about you!" 

"It's not my fault you're terrible at poker," Bucky retorted boldly, a foolish move on his part. 

Nat stalks towards him with a growl. "You little-" she stops when she finds you standing at the front of the garage door. You give her a sheepish wave and grin. She looks at Bucky incredulously before exploding. 

"I always knew you were a shameless, good-for-nothing, bastard! But you've really gone and done it now!" She said swinging her wrench at him. 

"Woah, Nat, watch it with that thing. I might get hurt!" Bucky said, dodging her rampant attacks. 

"You just had to go and kidnap the richest man on the east coast's daughter, didn't you?" she questioned. "And then you had to bring her to my damn garage!" 

"I didn't kidnap her," Bucky said, before hiding behind you. "I helped her." 

"Get out from behind her and fight me like the man you are!" She ordered, but Bucky didn't budge. 

"He's telling the truth," you explained. "I wanted to leave and James helped me. We just need somewhere to stay until things die down." 

"Hate to break it to ya, but you're hard to miss," she said, motioning to her dress. 

"I was also hoping you'd also have a spare set of clothes?" you asked with puppy dog eyes. 

Nat looks away with a scowl. She was a softie at heart. 

"C'mon, Nattie," Bucky smirked as he wrapped his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. "You can't say no to a cute face like that." 

"I can't," Nat sighed. "But I can say no to you. So no," she stated flatly. "Now get out of here." 

The two of you frowned at her but she ignored it. 

"Next time, can you not forget this guy in the back of my car," Steve said, holding a growling Fru-Fru as far away from his as possible. 

You huffed in annoyance. "For the fifth time, Fru-Fru is a girl!" 

"Oh my god!" Nat squealed as she ran over to the puppy. She snatched her out of Steve's hands and bopped her nose with the pup's. "Aren't you the cutest little thing on this earth!" 

"More like deadly," Bucky commented, and you pinched his arm with an angry look. 

"Yes, you are!" Nat cooed and Fru-Fru yipped in glee, her tail wagging in the air. "You are the cutest little pup I've ever seen." She played with the pup for a good minute before clearing her throat and turning towards you. "Alright, I'll let you stay, but only if she stays too." 

"Of course, she is!" Bucky agreed, coming closer to them. "What would we ever do without her?" Bucky said, trying to pet the dog. She growls at him and he takes a step back. 

"I was talking to her, not you. If you want to stay you have to pay." Nat said turning on her heel. 

"That's not fair!" he replied. 

"Hey, Steve. How's it goin'? Still got that beauty of a Buick?" 

"You bet I do," Steve said with a smile. "How's everythin' with you and Clint?" 

Nat clicks her tongue at his name. "Don't speak of that idiot ever again." 

"What you break up with him again?" Steve asked. 

"I said don’t talk about him. Come on, girl, let's get you out of that dress," she motions you to follow her with your dog still in her hand. 

"Maybe he finally realized how deranged you really are," Bucky chuckled. Nat chucked her wrench at him. He missed it by a hair and it hit the cans of oil behind him with a loud clang. "You tryna take my head off?!" he questioned. 

"I'll get him one of these days," Nat muttered and you chuckled along. 

* * *

You walked out of the room feeling a lot lighter. Thankfully, Nat was your size and the dress she gave you fit perfectly. It was a light peach circle skirt dress complete with a thin white leather belt around your waist. 

You found Bucky standing in what looked like a study with bookshelves against the walls except for the one with glass doors that gave a gorgeous view of the Atlantic Ocean. He sat against the back of the desk staring at the map that was right behind it. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration with a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. 

You knock on the door gently and he looks over to you. 

"Can I come in?" 

"Yeah, doll, of course," he smiled, taking the stick out of his mouth and exhaling. 

"What are you doing?" you asked as you approached him. 

"I'm charting our course," Bucky replied. 

"Our course?" 

"We didn't go to all this trouble just so you could sit around," he chuckles as he put out the cigarette in an ashtray," So I'm planning where we're gonna go." He stood up and pulled you by the hand to stand right in front of him. Right where you could feel his hot breath tickling the side of your face. 

"I'm thinking we take a plane to London and spend a few days there, then take a train to Paris." He trailed along with his finger. "We can screw around in France for a while. Go to Marseille or Lyon or Toulouse, wherever you feel like going. Then when we’re sick of cassoulet and croissants we can go to Italy…” 

You listen to his proposed itinerary attentively and with pure excitement bursting within you. Just the idea of going to all of these places and with him especially, had you elated.

"So what do you think?" 

You turn over to him with a beaming smile and place your hands against his chest. His arms wrap around you instantly with an equally bright smile plastered on his face. 

"I think it's amazing," you exclaimed. "I can't wait!" 

"That makes me happy," Bucky replied cheerfully. 

You blush underneath his enchanting gaze and hope he couldn't feel your heart hammering against your chest. 

"James, I wanted to say thank you for everything." 

"Doll," he chuckles sheepishly, "it's really nothing."

"It is to me," you asserted. "You've helped me so much and it really means a lot." 

"I'm just glad I could help." 

You give him a genuine smile and it had him breathless. Damn, did he want to kiss you right there and then.

"You're coming with me, right?" you asked, your hands sliding up his chest and around his neck boldly.

"Only if you want me to," he says, coming closer. 

"I would like that very much." 

"Then who am I to say no?"

You're so close to him and yet it feels so far away. The gap between was driving you insane with your lips begging to meet his. You hold back in hesitation not feeling as bold as before. 

"You're so beautiful," his voice was breathy and awestruck. "Damn, doll, I just wanna kiss you right now." 

"Then what are you waiting for, Bucky?" you asked, beckoning his lips to yours.

Bucky smiles at the sound of his nickname rolling off your tongue so sweetly. He planted a deep and passionate kiss on your lips that had you ascending to cloud nine. Your hand finds its way into his short brown locks as he covers the small of your back with his, pulling you closer to his body. 

A hard knock comes at the door making him part from you to look at who it was. 

"Oi! Quit canoodling in my living room," Natasha deadpanned. The two of you chuckle ruefully as she smooths her fingers through Fru-Fru's fur with a sigh. "Come to the kitchen if you want something to eat," she turns to leave. "It's free for you Y/N, but you have to pay," she points at Bucky. 

"Oh come on!" Bucky hollers at her as she walks down the hallway. 

"It's okay," you giggle, pulling him along. "You can steal off my plate." 

"Is that all I am to you, a thief?" he asks, jokingly. 

"The thief of my heart," you wiggle your brows with a blush, leading him out the door. 

"That was extremely corny, but I'll let it slide just this once," he chuckled behind you which earned him an elbow in the gut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what started out as a one-shot turned into something longer than I had expected it to be. hope you liked it tho!

**Author's Note:**

> bucky you goof you can't just ask a girl you just met to run away with you. 
> 
> although I would have...


End file.
